Sedge Group 1
What are they?
This group includes sedge species that have their flowers in a single, terminal spike, with the individual flowers clustered into two or more spikelets, thus creating a lobed spike. The spikelets are all more or less the same, with even the terminal spikelet containing at least some female flowers.
Where are they found?
There is quite a range of species in this group, with some being plants of wetland habitats and others prefering drier grassland. Thus, habitat can be a useful part of the identification process.
Identification
While the overall flower spike details define this group, the finer details of the flowers and fruits are necessary for species identification. Note the shape and colour of both the male and female glumes (flower bracts) and note details of shape and size of the ripe utricles (fruits). Also note the overall shape of the flower spike, especially regarding the spacing of the spikelets along the main stem.
Greater Tussock Sedge Carex paniculata
Native. Widespread but generally uncommon in valley bottom wetlands, but more frequent in Broadland. Flowers May to June, fruits July. Plants form impressive tussocks of fibrous material, up to 1.5m in height and 1.0 metre across. Leaves up to 120cm long and 4-7mm wide. Flower spike rather compact, the lower spikelets with short stalks and at least some spikelets with male flowers towards their tips. Glumes with a broad, papery margin, flowers with two stigmas. Utricles 3-4mm long, ovoid, biconvex (rounded on both sides) with beak 1.0-1.5mm long and having noticeable wings in the upper half that are strongly toothed.
Older plants are easily recognisable by their sheer size, but younger plants will need more care to separate them from other species by their fruits.
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Fibrous Tussock Sedge Carex appropinquata
Native. An East Anglian speciality with the mian population in Broadland, but declining due to falling water tables and drying out of its habitats. Flowers May to June, fruits June to July. Plants form tussocks up to 1m in height and 80cm across. Leaves up to 3mm wide. Flower spike rather compact at first, the lower spikelets with short stalks. Glumes without the contrastingly pale margin of Greater Tussock Sedge; flowers with two stigmas. Utricles 2.7-4mm long, broadly ovoid, planoconvex (flattened on one side); beak 0.7-1.5mm long, saw-edged but without noticeable wings.
Older plants develop much fibrous material at the base as leaf sheaths break up. Compare also with Lesser Tussock Sedge, which can sometimes form small tussocks but is usually more open and spreading in its growth.
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False Fox Sedge Carex otrubae
Native. Common and widespread in a range of wetland habitats, including coastal grazing marshes, roadside ditches and along our larger rivers. Flowers June to July, fruits July to September. Plants densely tufted with broad, strongly keeled leaves, 4-10mm wide; leaf ligule acute and leaf sheath not wrinkled on side opposite leaf blade. Flower spike rather short and compact. Female glumes long-pointed with a green central stripe; flowers with two stigmas. Utricles 5-6mm long, broadly ovoid, planoconvex (flattened on one side); beak 1-2mm long, saw-edged but without noticeable wings.
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Spiked Sedge Carex spicata
Native. Widespread in grassy places, mostly on chalk and most frequent in Cambridgeshire, becoming uncommon north and eastwards. Flowers June to July, fruits July to August. Plants densely tufted with keeled leaves, 2-4mm wide; leaf ligule acute, much longer than wide and basal leaf sheaths becoming red-tinted. Flower spike 1-4cm long, relatively short and compact or just the lowest spikelet shortly separated. Female glumes long-pointed with a green central stripe; flowers with two stigmas. Utricles 4-5mm long, oval and narrowing gradually into the 1-2mm beak.
Spiked, Grey and Prickly Sedge can all appear rather similar and should be compared carefully with each other to make an accurate identification.
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Small-fruited Prickly Sedge Carex pairae
(Carex muricata subsp. pairae) Native. Widespread in dry, grassy places, particularly on drier, sandy soils and mostly avoiding the heavier boulder clay. Flowers May to July, fruits July to August. Plants densely tufted with keeled leaves, 2-4mm wide. Flower spike 1-4cm long, relatively short and compact or only shortly interrupted towards the base. Female glumes long-pointed with a green central stripe; flowers with two stigmas. Utricles 2.6-4mm long, becoming shiny and reddish-brown with age, beak minutely toothed.
For a long time, this species was considered to be a subspecies of Prickly Sedge (Carex muricata).
Spiked, Grey and Prickly Sedge can all appear rather similar and should be compared carefully with each other to make an accurate identification.
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Grey Sedge Carex divulsa
Native. Widespread in dry, grassy places, typically avoiding the driest, sandy soils and preferring chalky or even the heavier boulder clay soils. Flowers May to August, fruits July to October. Plants densely tufted with leaves 2-5mm wide. Flower spike very variable, 3-18cm long, relatively long and open, particularly towards the base. Flowers with two stigmas. Utricles 3.5-5mm long, beak about 1mm long, rough, split.
Plants with the lowest 3-4 spikelets separated from each other by a gap of more than their own length and with an inflorescence 5-10cm long are considered to be subspecies divulsa, while plants with the lowest spikelets separated from each other by a gap of no more than their own length and with an inflorescence 3-8cm long are considered to be subspecies leersii. The former is generally more frequent, with the latter seeming to favour more chalky soils but, in reality, many plants are intermediate and difficult to assign to either subpecies. Despite difficulties with the identification of some plants, the two forms are often considered separate species, with leersii becoming Many-leaved Sedge (Carex leersii).
Spiked, Grey and Prickly Sedge can all appear rather similar and should be compared carefully with each other to make an accurate identification.
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Remote Sedge Carex remota
Native. Widespread and often common in wet, usually shady, places on heavier soils; absent from the more open habitats of The Fens and from drier, sandy soils. Flowers June, fruits July. Plants densely tufted and often forming large colonies under shady alder or willow carr. Leaves channelled, not keeled (so U-shaped not V-shaped in cross-section) 1.5-2mm wide. Flower spikes elongate with 4-9 spikelets, the lower ones especially well-spaced from each other and with very long, leaf-like bracts. Flowers with two stigmas. Utricles 2.5-3.8mm long, beak 0.5-0.8mm long, split.
A highly distinctive sedge and easily recognised. The 'remoteness' of the flower spikelets from each other is what gives the species its name.
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Oval Sedge Carex leporina
Native. Widespread but rather uncommon in damp grassland and woodland rides on peaty or acid soils and largely absent from the chalkier soils in the West of our region. Flowers July to August, fruits August to September. Plants tufted, leaves flat, 1-3mm wide. Flower spikes with 2-9 spikelets, each spikelet narrow at first but soon becoming distinctly oval in shape and well separated from each other. Flowers with two stigmas. Utricles 3.8-5mm long, beak 1-1.5mm long, winged at the sides and split from the tip.
A fairly distinctive sedge with the flower spikes sometimes flopping to one side and the female glumes developing incurving, claw-like tips. The distinctly oval spikelets resemble a clouster of tiny rugby balls.
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White Sedge Carex canescens
(Carex curta) Native. A scarce and decling species of wet, sandy heaths, in East Anglia probably more or less confined to bogs in East and West Norfolk and East Suffolk. Flowers June to August, fruits August to September. Plants in loosely spreading tufts, 10-50cm in height. Leaves 2-3mm wide, soft, keeled. Flower spike 3-5cm long with 4-8 spikelets. Flowers with two stigmas. Utricles small, 2-3mm long, ovoid-ellipsoid, planoconvex (flattened on one side), not winged, remaining yellowish when ripe (not darkening to brown); beak 0.5-0.7mm long.
The overall pale colouration and very small utricles, as well as the slightly tufted growth separates this species from the others in this group.
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Star Sedge Carex echinata
Native. A plant of peaty, acid bogs, so uncommon in East Anglia and mostly confined to heathy areas in Norfolk and East Suffolk. Flowers May to June, fruits June to August. Plants tufted with stems often just 10-20cm in height; leaves keeled or becoming flat, 1-2.5mm wide. Flower spikes 1-3cm long with 2-5 spikelets, each spikelet narrow at first but becoming star-shaped as the fruits ripen. Flowers with two stigmas. Utricles 2.8-4mm long, beak 1-1.5mm long, broad and toothed at the margins.
A small species that is easily overlooked, but distinctive when fruiting.
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